Category: Politics

Support Press Freedoms

Posted on | by Steve M. Windham, LLM, MBA, EA

Updated on Monday, September 02, 2024.

United States Constitution
Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights-is-turning-75-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

 

Press Freedom Organizations

The Associated Press FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
The New York Times Freedom of the Press
RSF
Thomson Reuters Foundation Media Freedom
United Nations World Press Freedom Day 3 May
VOA Voice of America
The Washington Post Press Freedom Partnership

Bring them home!

AUSTIN TICE
THE FAMILY OF AUSTIN TICE

Journalists Freed

Evan Gershkovich WSJ

Nike: Find Your Greatness

Posted on | by Steve M. Windham, LLM, MBA, EA

Nike

Truth be told, I have not been a very big fan of Nike for many years.  This has been primarily due to their business practices where their endorsements pay a single athlete more than the entire annual payroll of a Southeast Asian manufacturing facility.  For example, Tiger Woods, over a course of 27 years, has been paid approximately US$500 million by Nike.  See: https://golf.com/news/how-much-nike-contributed-tiger-woods-fortune/

Conversely, Nike's factory employees in Southeast Asia are typically paid about US$3.50 per day, and they are often not paid the agreed upon wages.  See: https://cleanclothes.org/news/2023/nike-board-executives-under-fire and https://www.maquilasolidarity.org/en/nike-and-ramatex-should-pay-workers-in-cambodia.

There are some valid reasons for low pay in these countries.  Imagine the chaos if Nike and other Western companies paid US/EU wages in a region where few people make US/EU minimum wages.  For reference, the Federal minimum wage in the US is $7.25/hour.  See: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/minimumwage.   In Europe, the minimum wage varies greatly, but even the lowest minimum wages are higher than what the average Southeast Asian factory pays Nike workers.  See: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Minimum_wage_statistics.

Keep in mind that an MD in Vietnam makes approximately US$46,000/year.   See: https://www.erieri.com/salary/job/medical-doctor/vietnam.  In California, a full-time fast food worker can make almost this much (~US$40,000), as the minimum wage for fast food workers in California is $20.00/hour.   See: https://www.gov.ca.gov/  The California basic minimum wage is $16.00/hour.  See: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm.

An entire book can be written on the business ethics of Western companies and the amounts they pay to their Southeast Asian factory workers.  Keep in mind, that many electronics and other goods are manufactured in Southeast Asian countries for extremely low rates of pay.

The point of my post is this: Nike made an incredible advertisement with their "Find Your Greatness" advertising campaign!  It can be viewed here:  Nike: Find Your Greatness (youtube.com)

Unfortunately, Nike still needs to find their greatness in paying their apparel workers an adequate wage in a safe working environment.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.maquilasolidarity.org/en/nike-and-ramatex-should-pay-workers-in-cambodia

 

Tax News — Week of 23 June 2024

Posted on | by Steve M. Windham, LLM, MBA, EA

United States
     California
     The California Supreme Court has ruled that the "Taxpayer Protection Act" must be removed from the ballot, as it would be a revision to California's Constitution.  This would require an amendment, rather than an initiative.
https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Initiative/2021-042

Africa
     Kenya
     Passage of the 2024 Finance Bill has resulted in protest that turned violent, with several protesters killed and injured by the police.
     https://www.voanews.com/a/several-shot-protesters-storm-kenya-s-parliament-after-lawmakers-approve-tax-hikes/7674258.html

Europe
     Denmark
     Starting in 2030, in Denmark, cows and pigs will be taxed for their contribution to producing greenhouse gases.
 https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/cows-pigs-face-carbon-tax-in-denmark/7674742.html

 

Gaza Protests (UC Davis & UC Berkeley)

Posted on | by Steve M. Windham, LLM, MBA, EA
UC Davis Gaza Protester.

For more than a month now, people have been protesting the war in Gaza, with most of these protests have been on university campuses.  I have had the opportunity to photograph these protests on two University of California campuses -- Davis and Berkeley.

While I am a staunch supporter of the First Amendment, many of these folks have taken it way beyond what is protected speech.  Assault, battery, trespassing, burglary, vandalism, violating campus policies (disrupting graduations, disrupting classes, disrupting exam weeks, blocking bus stops, illegal camping, etc.) have crossed the line from protected speech to criminal activity.

While photographing the protest at UC Davis, I was hit with an umbrella, had many other umbrellas, hands, and other objects shoved in my face and in front of my camera.  I had one "security" guard (who happened to be an unlicensed security guard) shine a bright light into my eyes.  They tried to harass and intimidate me by following me in a public place.  The whole ordeal has left me with a very negative view of these protesters.  Most of them have covered their faces because they know they are committing crimes and violating campus rules.  In short, they are ignorant cowards.

The website CANARY MISSION has created a database of many of these dangerous individuals.  Click here to visit CANARY MISSION's searchable website.

Follow the link for more photos.

https://www.stevewindham.com/portfolio/photojournalism/gaza-protests/

UC BERKELEY 05.12.2024